China correspondent for Fairfax Media

The Australian operations of carmaker Saab has confirmed it will close its doors following the bankruptcy of its Swedish owners last month.

Saab Australia has called in Ferrier Hodgson as administrators, and will close its Port Melbourne office, resulting in six job losses.

The collapse comes after unsuccessful attempts to sell Saab Australia to a third party prior to Christmas.

Ferrier Hodgson’s Stewart McCallum said there was unlikely to be any immediate impact on current Saab owners, as workshops will continue to be supplied with parts for repairs. But it is unclear what it means for new car warranties and servicing.

“SAAB drivers can be confident their vehicles will be kept on the road and they should have no problems accessing parts over the short to medium term,” Mr McCallum said.

“With regard to warranties, we are working with the dealers around Australia to minimise any potential impact for Saab owners.”

Mr McCallum said the administrators would now focus on selling remaining vehicles and significant inventory of parts to interested parties.

The administrators will work with the bankruptcy trustees of Saab Australia’s parent entity in Sweden as part of the sale process.

Saab, which began as an aircraft manufacturer in 1937 and was formerly owned by car giant General Motors, had been struggling to avoid bankruptcy in recent months. Negotiations with two Chinese suitors failed to materialise into a deal, forcing the Swedish carmaker to pull the pin on a two-year rescue effort in December last year.